Wheel cleat



Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

Anarran stares! MARTN M. Yoan,- or WESTYMANSFIELD, oHIo.

i',elizaz WHEEL CLEAT.

Application Iiled June 12, 1926.` Serial No. 115,580.

VThis invention relates to cleats or mud Vlugs for wheels, the general object of the inventionV being to lprovide means whereby the lugs or cleats can be placed transversely on the rim of the wheel or swung to a position at one side of the wheel when a plain rim is sufiicient to secure traction,4 as on,

paved streets or thelike, and'where the lugs or cleats would damage the streets if used.

Another object of the invention is to provide spring latch means for holding the lugs or cleats in operativer position and to provide spring pressed plunger-s for holding them in inoperative position.

This invention also consists' in certain otherl features of construction and vin the combination and arrangement Vof the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illus'- trated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in vthe appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, -reference will be had to the accompanying -drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of part of a wheel to whichmy inventionis applied, the lugs being shown in inoperative position.

Figure 2'is a similar View but showing the lugs in operative position.V Y

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of F igure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4e-.4: of Figurel. Y i f Figure 5 is a view of part of the rim of wheel, showing the lugs thereon.

Y Figure 6 is a 'fragmentary'viewof the inner f ace of the rim, showing a lug held in operative position by its latch member. 1 As shown in these views, I secure a number of brackets 1 on the inner face of the rim 2-of the wheel, and to each bracket, I Vhirnge or pivot 'a lug or cleat 3. Each Vcleat is of'substantially hook shape, wiith the extremity of its .hookV part pivotedfto the bracket, Vand said 'lug or cleat is so formed that it will extend at a slight incline transversely across the outer face of the rim when the lug is inoperative position. The ends'of each lug are beveled, as shown at 4, and they are preferably of wedge shape in cross sec-V tion.v An inwardly extending part V 5 is formed onthe free end of each lug or cleat `projection having a Vnotch 7 therein which is adapted to be engagedby a latch ylever 8 plvoted to ltheinner face Vof the rim or Y to a plate 9 carried thereby, a spring 10 holding'the lever with its enlarged'part 11 engaging'the notch 7 vin the projection. Thus the lugs or cleats will be -held on the outer face of the rim, and said lugs will give traction to the wheel in muddy or soft ground as well asin snow and ice. When a smooth tread is sufcient, as on paved streets and the like, the latch levers 8 are moved to releasing position vand the lugsl or cleats swung to one sideof the wheel, where'they are held in inoperative position by the spring pressed plunger 12 carried by the cylinders 13 'which are Ysupported v onua ring 14 fastened to the spokes of the wheels.Y The outer ends 'ofthe plungers 12 are beveled to engage the beveled ends l of the lugsandthus hold the lugs inthe position they occupy in Figures 1, 3 and Ll.,

A pin 15 iscarried by each plunger 12 and acts as a handle and also vas a stop for limitlingthe movement of the plunger given itV Vby the' spring.

Fromthe foregoing,fiit'will.be seen thatl uofthe surface of the road overl which the vehicle is traveling, the Vcleats remaining on the Wheel at all times so that therefis no danger of losing them. Y

, It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantagesand novel features Vof my invention will be readily apparent.V

VI desire it to be Yunderstood that `Irmay make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several part-s, provided that such'changes fall within the scope of the appendedclaims. Y i

VJhat I claim is 2.- y 1. In combination withl a wheel, brackets a cleat having ahook-shaped end pivoted.

Vsecured to the inner face of the rim thereof, Y Y Y to each bracket so lthat the cleat can extendtransverselyv acrossthe rim,-' a ring onV the wheel, cylinders carried ithereby,V spring plungers in the cylinders engagingthe free VKends of lthe cleats to hold'them inoper-V ative position ancla handle on each plunger. holes when the cleats are Ymoved to a posi- 2. In combination with a Wheel, a plutlonon the out-er face ofthevrim, and spring rallty of brackets fastened to thenner face actuated latch levers engaging parts of the l0 thereof, a plurality ot cleats each having projections 'for holdingthe cleats on the a hook-shaped end pivotecl to abraeket, the outer face of the rim. I Y rim having holes therein, projections on the In testimony whereof l affix my signature. free ends of the cleats for engaging the Y MARTN BI. YORE. 

